The Biggest Myth About Cellulite (VIDEO)

Whether you’re 18 or 80, you know about cellulite. The skin dimpling has been known to make an appearance on women regardless of age, causing those affected by it to seek out beauty products and miracle creams to eliminate what they see as unsightly spots. But not so fast, says frequent “Oprah Show” guest Dr. Oz.

The truth about cellulite is that many women are misinformed about its cause and, therefore, its alleged cure. Using a scientific animation in the above video, Dr. Oz sets the record straight, beginning with an explanation of exactly how cellulite forms beneath the skin’s surface.

“You’ve got, inside the back of your leg, these fat cells,” Dr. Oz begins. “As those fat cells… take in extra nutrients that spill out from the arteries, those individual fat cells start to get larger and larger and larger. And as those molecules of fat begin to accumulate in the individual fat cells, those fat cells become nice and big and plump. As they get plump, guess what they do? They suck towards them more blood supply.”

The more blood that enters the fat cells, he continues, the bigger they can get, causing strain on the tendons that hold them down. “These little fibrous bands, these little ropes that are holding the skin to the muscle, are now bulging as much as they can,” Dr. Oz says.

As women move through their 20s, 30s and 40s, the number of fat cells increases, and cellulite appears on the skin.

“What it’s really about is fat cells accumulating and pushing out the skin from the muscle beneath it. And because it’s only held there by tendons, little ropes, you see little buckling,” Dr. Oz summarizes. “Here’s the big news: You can’t cure it.”

Those creams and beauty products some women swear by? They only give the illusion of a cure, Dr. Oz explains.

“What they really do is go bang, bang, bang, bang,” he says, slapping his thigh. “The muscle and the tissue around it — and the fat — swells up a little bit so it looks a little plumper. So, it’s not so visible anymore.”

“There is no cellulite-removing cream,” Oprah says, for clarification.